When ESPN announced over the winter it would be televising the first Sunday Night Baseball game at Nationals Park since the place opened in 2008, naturally the execs at the Worldwide Leader expected this game would feature the first-place Nationals shooting for their eighth-straight win over the last-place Phillies. Right? Right?

The Nationals couldn't have asked for better timing to unveil their 18-9 club to a nationwide audience. Sure, they'd love to have Ryan Zimmerman, Michael Morse and Adam LaRoche in the lineup. Then again, the current group has successfully put 40 men on base the last two days. Not wanting to tinker with perfection, Davey Johnson will go with the same lineup tonight, even though left-hander Cole Hamels is on the mound for Philadelphia.

Jordan Zimmermann, meanwhile, gets the start for the Nationals. Here's hoping the right-hander (often the forgotten man of this rotation) gets some well-deserved national attention.

Amen to that, Swami. Harper doesn't seem daunted by the big stage so far, so I'd tend to agree with sec3. (lol, just realized that "Orr" would fit right in on the all-vomit-onomatopoeia-surnames Phillies roster – as inspired by a Phillies fan comment quoted in an earlier thread. Okay, sorry. Got a bit distracted there. Hope nobody's eating dinner. Ahem.)Anyway, will try to stay awake for the whole broadcast, but no guarantees, so I've set the DVR as well. Go, J-Zimm! Go, NATS!! Stay hot, NATS BATS!!

Query: I use MLB.tv to watch games from my computer; we don't have ESPN (or a regular tv, for that matter). Am I correct that national ESPN games like this are blacked-out on MLB.tv? Prefer to watch from home, but I'll head for a sports bar if I have to (not a bad thing). Thanks to anyone who can answer definitively.

Yeah, no doubt we could come up with our own, er, as it were. But seeing as how original comment was a Phils Phan saying that "natitude" sounded like someone ralphing (which it doesn't, really), I went with names from their roster.

NatsJack: Yeah; that's what I thought/feared. Thanks for the confirmation. Given how rarely the Nats are on national tv, I don't recall ever having had this problem before. Since we moved West the only MLB.tv blacked-out games have been when the Nats played the Mariners and the Giants, who –along with A's — are somehow considered to capture Oregon within their respective spheres of influence (or whatever they call it). Oh well, bar food and a few beers shouldn't hurt too much.

Worse news. Adam Kennedy will replace him at 3b.It makes me feel overwhelmed by gratitude … that Giggleman's Island is now a series in reruns on the Comedy Channel. I can just imagine what this roster would be like and what the record would be with that guy trying to play every washed up AAAA guy form Orr, Harris, Kennedy, etc. instead of trying out a Lombardozzi and even a Harper. I think many fans do not realize just how fortunate we were when that guy accidentally resigned …

There's a great interview with Harper on ESPN, it's quite long too (10 minutes).http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7897503It sounds like Harper's had some media coaching. He was better than most politicians with some of those answers. Buster Olney was clearly trying to get Harper to say something like his Namath comment, but Harper played it cool. Amazing that a 19 year old can come across so level-headed and mature.

So I'm watching Cody Ross, and it occurs to my why the Nats didn't get him–there'd be no way they could tell Bryce ixnay on the eyeblack, once he saw Ross on the bench. Though it would have given him someone to borrow from if he ran short.

Nats still have 4 of the top 11 ERA's in the NL. Hard to mess with that rotation.With Wang chomping at the bit and all of Taiwan likely waiting with bated breath? Davey said it all when he said he'd rather not think about … You really can't pull Detwiler it could affect his development. You're not going to pull Stras, Gio, or JZimm … leaves Edwin as a 1 year wonder and potential trade bait because of it … They might get something good for Jackson, lots of teams with a rash of injuries and playoff potential. And if you could package Lannan with him and get a bit more? But then there's just staying the course which makes abundant sense … except that Wang's 30-day clock is started.

Congradulations to the Minnesota Twins who have been no hit and 1 hit in the last 5 days for having blasted 3 hits already and it's only in the 6th inning.Ex Nats and Ben Goessling … betcha Goessling is the albatross!

So it looks like MLB broke up the umpiring crew that had both Joe West and Angel Hernandez in it. One of the few smart moves Bud Selig has ever made.That actually happened last year around the ASB. And it was Joe Torre, not Selig. I think that crew had something like 17 ejections by June or something ridiculous so Torre finally did what baseball fans everywhere were clamoring for.

I really don't like the four letter network. Maybe the mute button? You guys are making me yearn to see Morse hit with all your gorsehacking horseplay. Zim and LaRoche back in Pittsburgh? Hope they are not rusty. Will there be a pre-game show on masn?

FP is on twitter – apparently he is tailgating and attending the game dressed as a fan. I assume that means no tie, no makeup? Does anyone else think this day is just dragging on? This almost feels worse than the west coast games.

1a…If the current O's game ever ends, yes.Showalter using the last of his pen (Jim Johnson) in the 15th in Boston.Wonk ti lla … hopefully Michelle will be on the right field side of the stadium…we're kind of LF heavyNL said she'd be in 305 I think.

His thoughtful comment on Harper's interview was that Harper shouldn't rely too much on his Dad. A) They set Harper up for that. B) Harper never said he didn't listen to anyone else. C) Schilling is an idiot.

That plunking had to be intentional, if Hamel only rarely walks anyone. That was a hazing, and The Kid shoved it back at 'em. And on Say Hey Kid's birthday, no less.I thought I was in the tank for Gio. Now I am in the tank for The Kid.

At the ball park. First time I've ever seen steal of home in person. The Park is electric after thatWhat was "on purpose" IMHO is that it looked like it was suppose to be a brush back pitch that got too far inside

FS, what's not to understand? Phillies facing a sweep, their pitcher with terrific control hits the talk of baseball square in the back with his first pitch. All that was missing was Hamels yelling at Harper that he was going to hit him.

FS — smart is not the point, at the end of the day it's all about performance. Harper took his hit and sent the message right back at Hamels. JZimm said, "I'll take your message and raise you one by putting a runner in scoring position and only one out — and I'll shove your scoring position right back in your faces by my pitching."And he did. It ain't boasting if you can back it up.

Faraz: Do anything to the phillies? he wears a ton of eye black..sprints out every ball hit to the infield, leading to the querstion for phillies Why don't you do that (making them look bad) and heis a cocky young kid playing for a team knocking off the old champs..what exactly do you want him to have done? did he give their manager the finger? no..but they dont like him..and if i was on another team i wouldnt like him either…thats part of what makes him so fun..he annoys the opposition because he plays 100 mph and hes 19..NINETEEN..cmon faraz…drop it

The point is that the Phillies have already shown Harper what they really think of him — which is respect — by pitching around him in the first two games of the series, walking him 4 times. So when the national spotlight is on the third game and the Phils are frustrated as anything by the first two losses, THEN they send their message. Says a lot more about them than about Harper.

it says plenty about philly..they are angry and frustrated..also hamels is an elder statesman…hitting harper another hitter (presumably) gets hit…a pitcher has to deal with that…hamels can handle it..he's won a world series and has been a very good starter for years…then Zimm hits Hamels!! i bet all the position players for the phillies were thinking the same thing…better him than me

Faraz…if the nationals are up by 12 runs in the 8th inning and they steal a base LOOK OUT! the next pitching is coming at the hitter…hitting a batter is part of the game..so are fights…helps clear the air

Not saying I saw that one coming, but JZim just doesn't seem in control after hitting Hamels. I don't really think it was intentional – hoping he doesn't meltdown on national tv. Pull it back together JZIM!!!!!

faraz the only sport that is 'clean' is golf..thats why i like it so much..but sometimes prose get very advantageous drops (ernie els at british open got a doozy the year he won)…sports are dirty..thats why they have umpires out there..to retain order

He's a wonderful pitcher, but in this depleted Phillies lineup you can't walk the guy hitting before Pence.Also, for all the talk on the national broadcast about the Phillies missing Utley and Howard, why no mention of the Nats playing without Morse's 31 home runs?C'mon Jordan, bear down.

umpires are out there to give unbiased decisions, not to ask grown men to behave. whatever happened to sportsmanship! I don't want to argue about this further. we both clearly have different opinions on this.Should be interesting to see how we dig ourselves out of a tough spot against this particular lefthander. If I am not mistaken, Cole has usually given us lot of trouble in the past.

Apparently some of the northern fans are calling Jayson Werth a sell out again. Wait until they see the money Hamels and Victorino get to leave the City of Brotherly Love. The team has way too much money tied up in their old broken down guys to keep them. Don't you love how the espn guys were all about the nats until the third and now they are all kissy butt to the phills?

The only one who KNOWS is Zimm, but here's Zuckerman's take on the hbp:– There's your retaliation. Zimmermann plunks Hamels in the leg as the opposing pitcher squares to bunt. Plate umpire Andy Fletcher warned both dugouts. Tell you what, that was a gutsy move on Zimmermann's part, putting two on with one out in a 1-0 game

Faraz: you are entitled to your opinions… Have as many as you want. But Scott is just telling you how the game is played. I get that you'd rather it weren't so, but not accepting what you see with your own eyes, is…. I don't know…. It's just how it is….

there's gonna be some angst..he has been disappointing but a solid right fielder with occasional flashes of power…who can have 3 blistering weeks, which is fun to watch…now what? Nady is not the answer…does bernardina get a shot?

Scott — maybe the Shark gets a shot against RHPs but he's been so weak at the plate generally that it'll be Nady against southpaws…. and no one comes to mind as a plausible call-up either.Triple ugh. That one hurts in MANY different ways.

I suppose someone will blame this injury on the nats training staff. I am just sick about all these injuries — and tired of hearing the phils complain about theirs. Seems like just one someone starts hitting, they get hurt. This just stinks. On twitter they are saying the Phans were cheering that he got hurt- stay classy Philadelphia.

Swami says stay classy Philadelphia. Sorry, years too late for any hope of that.UnkyD — Stupid slides???? How many outs has Werth saved by those "stupid slides"? That's like saying RZim should stop making diving stops. That's what they're literally getting paid the BIG bucks to do.

disappointed that unkyd would call Werth's sliding catches stupid. He has been doing is for years and has caught more balls and stopped others from going to the fence – what do you want him to do, wave at the ball as it goes by? How great was that relief job by Stammen. They can move Harper to right and let the other guys play left but this injury hurts.Too bad Stammen will come out but he is due up this inning.

Well, if Tyler gets a few more ABs maybe he won't swing at 58 footers. Seriously, his swings looked sharper when he started the game in L.A.I'm more frustrated with the Ramos at bat. Hamels was at 96 pitches. Go deep in the count! Get him out of the game and give yourselves a chance.Good job by Burnett.

UnkyD — That is exactly how you play that ball — stay lower than the ball. Keep the ball in front of you. He did it right. Injuries happen. It's too bad — he was getting his act together at the plate and it looks like he'll be out for a long time.I love Stammen. He should seriously be considered for closer if Henry imploads. The guy has ice water veins. What a bull dog!

Is it just me, or are these ESPN announcers terrible? (I have not been reading the game thread.) Francona is awful , in my opinion. Why they need three talkers in the booth is beyond me. I am suffering through the game listening to the excellent radio team, then seeing the play happen on TV after Charlie makes the call.

Seems they have the same attitude towards Moore as they did with Morse until last year – he's really not good enough to be a regular, so we won't even give him a chance. Cripes, put Harper in right – he has some experience there – and Moore in left. How much worse could he be than Nady?

Trying to gain perspective — seemed like ZNN was just awful, walking people, no control — he gave up three runs — three runs and went into the 7th. That's a pitching disaster to us this year. that was a stellar performance in previous years. Stammen is a total gem, by the way. Cole Hamels is a stud and everyone knows it — except Bryce Harper. I think National Tv is going to like the way he looks. The rest of our offense makes me want to avert my eyes. Time for the revolving dl door – Zim and Laroche back, Werth out. Can the merry-go-round stop , please!

I was gonna blame that on Ramos but it looks like the ball might have ticked off Pierre's leg or he at least obstructed Ramos' view of the bounce. That's how they bounce on a bad night.And Perry is only up because both Storen and Lidge are out.

Rather watch MadMen and follow the game on nice quiet Gameday.Maybe I should have gone tonight. Went the past three games and they're 8-1 on games I've seen this season. On the other hand…. I've seen enough Phillies fans for several months. Fortunately the next home series is in the middle of the week at the end of July.

FS, you need to go back and look at some game tapes from, oh, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010…We're fine. A little banged up, but still with the best pitching in the game. We're going to be in this thing for a l-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-n-g time.Relax. Have a bourbon and Maalox. On me.

FS – you just need to win every series. Sweeps are just icing on the cake. Agree with baseballswami than Zimnn looked like he lacked control. It could have been a lot worse had Stammen not worked some magic. But it also looked like a really tight strike zone tonight. We still need to figure out how to hit. Losing Werth, who was playing well, is a big loss for the Nats. Here's hoping that our depth, and the return of Zimm and ALR will help. Just remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint.

Scott, reading Willie Mays' bio and RA Dickey's auto. Then I can pick up Keith's book.anyways tough loss. tougher would be Werth's loss. Many pick on him for not being worth his money but he is very valuable to the club.

Bad game, but how cool was Harper to steal home, and how cool is it no one runs on either Harper or Ankiel's arm. And how cool was Stammen. Best JZmm pitch of the game–nailing Hamels. Hope Werth miraculously skirts what looks like a bad one. Get some rest, juggle the lineup, and sweep the Pirates. Still a PFB team.

Here is my line up for Tuesday assuming Werth is headed for the DL (Just when thought Nady was gone he is still here).Desmond SSHarper RFZim 3BLaRoche 1BMoore LFLombardozzi 2BAnkiel CFFlores CEjax PI want Harper up as much as possible.Zim will like batting behind him. Lots of RBI opportunities.

Manassas Nats–I just wrote up the same lineup and then thought everyone was asleep by now. So I'm with you 120% Only difference is I had Lombo batting #2 still, and then bumped everyone down a notch.I imagine we have the same reasons for playing youth:Need Lombo's bat, and need to see if how he pairs w/DesiNeed TMoore's hopefull 3 run homer bat at the cost of fieldingandNeed more competition at Catcher by moving Flores into the lineup more often. I love Ramos, he just needs to sharpen up the fielding.I like Espi a great deal too, but we can't go all year w/such a hole in the lineup.

Unkyd, I lost a lot of respect for you for your stupid slide comment. Werth had played that ball perfectly, but his mitt snagged on the turf, and his momentum carried him forward, literally snapping his wrist. Then he still got the ball back in.